Icy Heart and Fiery Love
by Sapph1reDrag0n
Summary: A girl named Alice was born under a curse, one that was placed by the ancient deities. Misfortune follows her footsteps, but in each misfortune, there's always a small hope and a chance to make the best out of it. Nobody knows why she was cursed. Nobody knows why she was separated from her lover. All the answers and secrets lie within her true identity. OC x Seto Kaiba
1. Prelude

**Hi everyone! For those who have read the older version of Icy Heart and Fiery Love, this is the newer version. I didn't like how the older version turned out, and I find this one to be better. I haven't written any stories for a long time so, I hope you enjoy this one!**

_**Prelude**_

A shadowy figure slowly approached a young girl with red hair and crimson eyes, darkening her surroundings. The young girl looked at the approaching figure in fear, clutching her chest in hoping he would disappear. The dark figure stopped in his footsteps and raised his slender finger, pointing at her, "_You are the one. The one we have been looking for. It is time…_" The young girl couldn't hear what he was about to say next as she screamed in pain. Bright red lights shot out from the ground and formed a circle around her. Red wings unfolded itself to its great lengths, and…

The young girl woke up from her sleep, panting rapidly. She clutched her blanket and looked outside of her window at the peaceful starry sky. '_It was just a nightmare. That's all it was. Just a nightmare…_' the young girl told herself. She breathed in a few breaths to calm herself down and willed herself to go back to sleep. As the girl's eyes closed once more, a ghostly red feather glittered on her nightstand and disappeared within the darkness.

….

Six years later, the same girl ran across the dark rainy streets of Domino City. Her lungs were ready to tear apart, but she couldn't stop running… not from the danger that was chasing after her. Once the girl saw the lonely streetlight, she sprinted as fast she could towards the right of the light and into the empty alley. The girl hid behind the piles of crates and took deep breaths of the rainy air to calm her lungs down. Splashes of footsteps were coming closer to where she hid until they stopped; the danger's presence lingered in the alley, suffocating the atmosphere with its sinister aura. Its deep voice teased the girl, "Come out, come out, wherever you are, child," as it searched the surroundings with its eyes and body.

Once its back was turned, she climbed onto the crates and leaped towards her enemy, plunging her sword into its back. It choked in surprise as it fell down on the watery surfaces. Small blood squirted out of its mouth, but it was still alive enough to turn around to face the girl. The girl pulled back her brown hood to show her cold red eyes and long crimson hair, staring down at her enemy. Once it had a good look, it laughed loudly in the rain. Despite the fatal wound it received, the enemy stood up and smiled. Suddenly, the girl felt a sharp pain and fell down on her knees, clutching her chest with her cloak. Blood oozed out of her hands and lips and dripped into the puddles, rippling in dark red.

She wondered how it was possible to receive the same wound and looked up to her enemy. It pulled back its own black hood, and shock swept down onto the girl's face. It was herself. Like a reflection, the enemy copied her pained expression, but changed it quickly to a triumphant look. Then its hair color changed to night black and its eyes to poisonous yellow. Magically, the sword slowly backed out of the enemy's body and floated gently into its hand. The enemy smiled and said, "This is not over."

The girl smiled as well and stood up without clutching her chest. The enemy dropped her smile and took a step back in surprise. The girl replied, "You're wrong. It's over for you."

A small, bright red circle with symbols appeared and circled around the girl. As she chanted an ancient language under her breath, the enemy snapped out of her trance and ran towards the girl to stab her. Before the enemy could throw a swing, she stopped in midair and was shattered into hundreds of pieces (along with the sword). In replace was a shattered mirror with a jaded frame and two red tassels. The girl picked up the mirror and saw beyond her reflection that there was a woman in transparent white. Her enemy lied dead with white blood flowing out of her lips. Her white cold eyes were opened, but no colors were lit inside. The girl pitied her enemy and said forlornly, "All you ever were was just an illusion. I hope one day, you could find happiness in your next life."

The mirror floated above the girl's hand and burst into flames to melt into nothingness. Although the girl knew that her wound and blood were illusions, she couldn't keep her thoughts of what the mirror reflected at bay. She thought about the woman with night black hair and poisonous yellow eyes, '_Who is she inside of me?_'

With no definite answer to her question, the girl threw her hood back onto her head and walked back to her home. What the girl didn't notice was that three girls were standing on the roof of a building, watching her battle. The middle one spoke, "She's getting stronger."

The one on the left replied, "That thing inside will grow with her strength. We have to kill her as soon as possible."

The girl on the right said in concern, "Is there no other way?"

The middle one replied, "I wish there was… "

The left girl answered angrily, "There is no other way! What are you two thinking? She has brought misfortune and death time and again! If both of you won't kill her, then I will!"

The middle one stopped her companion, "Don't be foolish. We cannot lose any more power or treasures. We're lucky that thing hasn't awakened yet. This is the best time for us to gain more power to seal her away."

Both girls nodded in agreement and with no more words to say, all three disappeared into the night.

….

The last bell of the day rang throughout Celestial High's three-story building. "Yes, no more classes for the day! Let's go shopping, Alice," Rika, a dark brown-haired girl, exclaimed excitedly.

"I wish, but," Alice yawned, "I need some more sleep. Sorry, Rika. Forgive me."

"What is up with you? How could our perfect princess of the school lose sleep? Is it because of a man?" Rika asked mischievously.

"What? No! Don't be silly. I haven't been… sleeping well," Alice half-lied. She didn't have enough sleep since she had to fight another unfortunate soul and couldn't stop thinking about the reflection she saw of herself.

"Look, you better go to sleep sooner at night or else, I will drag your ass over to the mall."

"If you think you could take me on, go for it," Alice winked.

"You're not called perfect for nothing," Rika laughed, "Speaking of which… you know Domino High has their prince. You two would be perfect together!"

"You mean Kaiba Seto? I heard he's cold and rude towards people. That's not my type of guy."

"Someday, you're going to be the single old lady who's grown senile and has a house full of cats," Rika joked.

After they parted ways, Alice walked towards her apartment, still thinking about the last fight. Along the way, she heard noises coming from Domino High's ground. Before she could turn the corner and into the gate to see what was going on, Alice bumped into one of the students. She fell down on top and apologized, but before she could get up, she was mesmerized with the boy's icy blue eyes. '_Have I met him somewhere before?_' Alice thought.

The boy snapped her back to reality, "Get off of me, would you? I don't have time for any fan girls."

As they stood up and grabbed their bags, Alice retorted, "I wouldn't be a fan girl for you if it was the last thing on Earth."

"We'll have no problems with each other in the future then," the boy grunted and stepped in his limo.

She stuck her tongue out at him, thinking, '_What a jerk._'

Her attention went straight back to the noise that she heard before. She ran as quickly as she could to the field, behind the stands, to find a brown-haired girl swinging her bag around to keep the boys and her distant.

"Get away from me!" she screamed.

One of the punks grabbed her bag and brought her closer, "C'mon. Don't be like that. We just want to have a little fun."

Alice stepped onto the scene, cracking her knuckles, "You know, you shouldn't treat a lady like that. Let her go."

The same boy smiled perversely as the rest of his goons laughed, "What? You wanna have some fun with us too? We wouldn't mind having a nice time with more than one girl."

"I won't repeat myself again. Let her go."

One of them became serious and took a step forward towards Alice, "You think you can take on all of us?" He looked at her short skirt and licked his lips, "If you have that much energy in ya, we can take it somewhere else for fun. If you know what I mean…"

Alice disappeared in a flash and appeared behind the punk to give him a roundhouse kick to his ribs. The other guys started to jump on her, but every single one ended up on the ground, unconscious from her fast punches and kicks. The only one left was the guy holding the girl; he took out his pocketknife and held it up against his victim's neck He tried threatening, "S-s-stay back! This girl's gonna get it if you come any closer!"

Alice glared at him with an intense, murderous stare, "Drop the knife."

As if he was hypnotized, he dropped his weapon and pushed the girl towards Alice to run away. Alice whispered into the frightened girl's ear, "Let's get out of here before we're questioned by someone."

They both walked towards the gate in silence until the girl piped up, "Thank you for saving me back there. I thought I was going to be a goner."

"I'm glad that I got there before it was too late."

"I'm Mazaki Anzu, by the way. You can call me by my first name since you saved my life."

"I'm Sato Alice."

Anzu gasped, "THE Sato Alice?! No way! The princess of Celestial High?!"

"Umm…"

"I heard you could rival against Kaiba!"

"I'd rather not meet the cold-hearted man. I'd probably ruin his reputation and he would have a personal vendetta against me."

Both of the girls giggled and when they reached the gates, they parted ways with a promise to hang out one day. Once Alice came home, she checked her phone messages to find that all of them were from her father, missing her terribly and wishing her to come back to America.

As the night came with a peaceful look, Alice looked up with a smile. '_This is the first time I could look at the stars without seeing blood,_' she thought.

Alice took out the necklace underneath her shirt and stared at it with reminiscing thoughts. The dark sapphire teardrop sparkled brightly underneath the moon; its silver heart-shaped ivy edges shined with it. All Alice could think about was the boy who gave that pendant to her. She wished in her heart to meet him soon. '_I wonder where you are, Seto…_'

Under the same sky, the boy she mentioned moved back against his chair and closed his eyes to rest. Images of his orphaned past flashed in his mind. He opened his eyes and shook his head to clear the memories away. The boy turned his chair around and opened the blinds to the starry night, full moon, and a view of the city. He never thought about his past before and would like to keep it that way, but the memories of that one girl made his heart ache. The boy turned his chair back to his desk and started to work once more, trying to forget his past and the girl. '_Past is past. The present and future are here in my grasps. I must focus on it to succeed,_' he told himself. No matter how much he buried his past in the back of his mind, deep in his heart, he yearned for the girl… just to meet her once.

**I hoped you like this one! Please rate and review! **


	2. Chapter 1: Dancing on Water

_**Chapter 1: Dancing on Water**_

"Yugi, you got ice cream on your nose," Anzu pointed out. Yugi crossed his eyes to see a small white creamy spot. Everyone laughed at his expression as he tried to get it with his tongue. They were sitting under a nice pink parasol, enjoying the afternoon with each other. Anzu invited Alice out to meet her friends: Mutou Yugi, Jounouchi Katsuya, and Honda Hiroto.

"So, Sato, how did you and Anzu meet?" Yugi asked.

"Uh…" Alice hesitated and looked at Anzu for the answer. She shook her head no and Alice proceeded to reply with a half-lie, "She and I met at the field when I was doing archery."

"Man, that must be intense," Honda said, "I mean, our schools rival with each other on just about every sports team you can imagine."

"Good thing I'm not in the archery club."

"Eh, how come you're not in it?" Anzu asked.

"I want to do it for fun, not for competition."

"You should join in, Alice," an unknown voice spoke. They all turned to see a red-orangey-spiked- haired boy marching up towards their table.

"Ryuuichi… what are you doing here?" Alice asked.

"I just want to see you," he responded, "Who are these guys?"

"They're all my fr-" Alice was interrupted when Ryuuichi held her close to him. He glared at them with a suspicious, angry look.

He questioned them, "You're not here to take her away, right? She's mine, you know."

Alice gestured them, "Don't take him seriously that way. We're like brothers and sisters."

"What are you talking about? We're in love," he said proudly.

Alice sweat-dropped, "Please tell me you don't really think we do."

"Hey, c'mon man, why don't you let her go? She doesn't want ya." Jounouchi stood up.

"Oh yeah, what are you going to do? Sock me in the face?" Ryuuichi yelled.

"Be glad to!" Jounouchi yelled back. Sparks were flying between the two as they glared at each other murderously.

Alice was able to escape from her friend's grasp and separated the two by their collars, "Enough already. Ryuuichi, they're my friends. I'm not looking for anyone at the moment."

Ryuuichi hugged her at the spot, "Yay! I'm happy to hear that!" He looked at everyone else and let her go to bow, "I'm sorry for my rude behavior. Please forgive me."

"Wow, he's actually sweet," Anzu said.

"Yeah… well… he's ok." Jounouchi complied.

"Except for you." Ryuuichi glared at Jounouchi.

"Why you-" Jounouchi was about to say before Honda held him back.

Ryuuichi took Alice's hand and said, "I must go, but we'll see each other again soon, my love." He kissed her hand, but before Alice could yell at him, he sped off and out of sight.

"That boy… I swear he's going to make hell for me at school." Alice said.

"Why would you say that?" Yugi asked.

"Like any pretty boy, he has a fan girl club."

"What?! That punk has girls flying for him?" Jounouchi said out of shock.

"You would have some fan girls too, if you weren't such a dork." Anzu pointed out.

As Jounouchi and Anzu fought over the topic, Yugi looked at Alice and asked, "Do you play Duel Monsters, Alice?"

"Yeah… but I don't really play that a lot since I barely have time for myself."

"My grandpa has a game shop. We can go over there sometime and play! It would be fun!" Yugi smiled.

"I'll take up that offer, though, I have to warn you… my deck isn't like any other."

"I can't wait!"

….

Near sunset, the gang said their good-byes and separated. Alice arrived home to find one phone message. She clicked on it and heard her father's voice:

_My dearest Alice,_

_I have just arrived in Japan and I miss you terribly. I've been so lonely, but now, I'll get to spend more time with you! Meet me tomorrow afternoon after your classes. You'll know where to find me. Hope to see you soon!_

The machine beeped when the message ended, and Alice turned towards her window. She smiled at the thought of finally seeing her father and then, rested on her bed for the night to pass by.

Meanwhile, the president of Kaiba Corp. was working hard on his next project until his secretary interrupted him, "Mr. Kaiba, there is a phone call from Mr. Pegasus J. Crawford."

"Let him through," Kaiba said.

Pegasus's face showed up on the phone screen and smiled his greetings, "Hello there, Kaiba boy! I'm sure you're excited about finally being a partner to my company."

"What do you want, Pegasus? I'm busy here." Kaiba said coldly.

"Oh dear… you don't need to be so cold with me. I'm calling to invite you to a glamorous party I'm hosting in celebration for our partnership!"

"Not interested."

"Oh, but you must go. You know what people will say when the other partner doesn't show up. What will happen to all the profits Kaiba Corp. will be receiving?" Pegasus threatened.

"Tch… Fine, Pegasus… I'll go."

"I knew you had it in you, Kaiba boy! The party is tomorrow night!"

"What!" Kaiba said out of shock. Before he could lecture at Pegasus, his partner hung up on the line. Kaiba slid back against his chair and sighed, wondering why he agreed to go.

….

After school ended, Alice called for a taxi and gave directions to where her father was staying. The tall silver building showed up in view with a shiny I2 sign on the top. Once they arrived, Alice paid the taxi driver with an extra tip and walked inside the building to the main desk. The secretary greeted her with a smile, "Nice to see you again, Miss. It's been a long time. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you," and gave Alice directions to where her father's office was.

Before Alice pushed the button for the elevator to come down, the doors slide open and out came the boy she bumped into before. He gave her a cold look and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"It's none of your business with what I do," she replied with the same tone.

"Sorry that I bothered to ask."

He walked out of the building and waited for his limo to arrive. With no further thoughts about the boy, Alice walked into the elevator, waited for it to go up, and walked out of it to knock on her father's door. Once she had the approval to come in, she opened the door and bowed, "Hello father."

Her father turned around and said, "Enough with the formalities, Alice. Just be yourself, dear."

Alice stood up straight and ran towards her father's arms, "Hi Papa. I missed you, too."

He hugged her back and took her shoulders to look at her, "You're still as lovely as ever. If it was your wedding day… I would cry."

He sniffed and gave crocodile tears while Alice giggled. A knock on the door made them startled and they positioned themselves to look like they were no more than employer and client. Her father called for the stranger to come in; he sighed in relief that it was only his butler. Alice gave the butler a hug and asked, "How have you been, Crocketts?"

"Miss Crawford, I'm doing well. Shall I call in for the cook to make dinner?" he asked.

"No need. We're having a party tonight," Pegasus said.

Crocketts bowed and closed the door. Alice turned towards her father and questioned, "What party? You never told me anything about that."

"Surprise, surprise, my dear! I was going to tell you, but now, we must find you a dress."

"Papa, I have school to-"

Pegasus interrupted her, "I told your principal you'll be out for a week since you suddenly have a cold coming down. You'll get to spend the rest of the days with me!"

"But…" Alice began to say, but her father pleaded, "Please Alice… for me?"

She sighed and nodded to his request. Her father jumped for joy and grabbed her hand to the next room, which looked like a sewing room. Maids came in, holding many dresses in their arms. Pegasus held up each dress to compare and compliment Alice's figure and skin. He was all over the place, which made Alice's eyes swirl in dizziness. She fell on her back to rest, but something caught her eye. She stood up and took it off the mannequin to show her father, "This is dress is nicer, don't you think?"

….

When night came, Pegasus and Alice arrived to a white Western manor near the sea cliff. They climbed on the stairs to the open doors and into a magnificent gold and red ballroom. White linen tables were lined with food and wine drinks. An orchestra of violins, flutes, a piano, a cello, and a harp were in a corner, preparing to play. A crowd of butlers was lined up at the walls with trays on their hands, ready to serve the guests. Pegasus turned to his daughter, "You look lovely, Alice."

"Don't cry yet, Papa. It's not even my wedding."

Alice's dress was white with a sweetheart neckline and gold ivy flowing down on the right side. She also wore white sleeve-gloves, high-heels, and a scarf with gold sparkles to go along with the dress. Her hair was tied into a fancy yet messy hair bun. "Before I forget," her father said, "this mask is for you. It's a masquerade party!"

Alice put on the feminine golden mask and thanked her father before he was whisked away to his duties. A few people came in and greeted Pegasus, which signaled the orchestra to start playing.

Alice decided to go out into the back through the glass doors to find a beautiful garden of red roses and a big pond in the middle of it. A small waterfall streamed down into the same pond filled with water lilies as the full moon reflected in its waters. A cliff was seen beyond the bushes and over the sea. Alice took in the fresh sea air and enjoyed the view before going back inside. When she turned around, more guests already came in and were in small groups with hands full of finger food and wine glasses. '_Ok, I can't let everyone know I'm Crawford's daughter. Pretend you're a family friend,_' she thought to herself.

Alice took food and wine glass off from the butlers' trays. As she went around greeting the guests and saying she was a family friend, she was surprised to see the person who just entered in. The boy with icy blue eyes was wearing a gray suit, dark blue collared shirt, and a black tie. He was the only one who didn't wear a mask (or looked like he refused to).

After he greeted Pegasus, her father led him to the middle of the room and gave his speech, "Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming tonight! I invited you all to celebrate the partnership between Industrial Illusions and Kaiba Corporations! And here, Kaiba and I, will toast to a bright future!"

Everyone raised their glasses, cheered, and sipped their drinks. The music started to liven up a little for people to dance. Some of the ladies already asked their men to dance with them and they all plopped their drinks on the butlers' empty trays. As Alice walked around to find an empty corner to hide from the men's looks and potential proposals to dance, she found the boy, Kaiba, surrounded by ladies flirting with him and asking him to dance. Alice pitied him and before she could rationalize her thoughts, she impulsively walked towards him and said, "Dance with me, Mr. Kaiba."

She grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the glaring women into the middle of the dance floor. He whispered to her, "Am I supposed to thank you for this?"

"No, but it was either suffering in that group or dancing with one girl to get away. Your choice now."

"Is there a third choice?" he asked, annoyed.

"Dance towards the glass doors, but move slowly so no one notices our disappearances."

As they waltzed slowly and revolved to the door, both of their hearts melted and beat as one. Alice thought, '_Why did I even do this? Why am I… so comfortable with him?_'

Once they reached their destination, they opened and closed the doors to waltz on the balcony, near where the curtains hid their presence. They both stopped dancing when they couldn't hear the music anymore. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment and almost neared each other for a kiss, but Kaiba backed away and cleared his throat. "Thank you," he said bluntly.

"Well, you can run away from this party now. No one will know you're gone." Alice turned towards the stairs and went down where it would lead into the garden.

Kaiba stared at her back and wondered, '_Where have I seen those eyes before? No…_' He shook his head to clear his mind and called his servant to get his limo.

As Alice took the last step, she went towards a small stoned bench in the middle of the garden and sat on it to look at the moon. She shook her head to clear the images of Kaiba and the heartbeat she felt when she was near him. Suddenly, a blue light beamed down from the sky and embraced the surroundings that circled around Alice. She heard a voice spoke out of nowhere, "You've done well against my mirror demon, but don't think you can get away from this one."

Alice yelled, "Who are you? Why are you after me? What have I done to-"

Before she could finish her question, the water in the pond lifted itself like a wave and took on a mermaid form. The mermaid looked beautiful with its long hair and small face, but when it looked at Alice, it bared its fangs and charged towards her. Alice jumped and flipped in the air, dodging the attack. The mermaid swirled around to attack her once more with its sharp claws opened to scratch her. Alice kicked the mermaid's head and the enemy lost its form, but the water swiveled back into a mermaid again.

Alice charged the enemy with a punch and the same thing happened again, but the recovery was faster than before and the mermaid tried to swallow her. Alice flipped in the air again to dodge it. Every time she moved, the mermaid would follow with no pause in between the turns. This tired Alice out and so then, she conjured the flames from her hands and threw the fireballs at the mermaid. The mermaid took the hits and flew back into a sizzling puddle. '_I hope that's enough to take her out for a while,_' Alice hoped; however, the puddle slowly gravitated upwards and tried to obtain its form again.

Before it could take full form, Alice tried to run away, but when she hit the blue light, she couldn't get out. Alice was trapped. She turned around to find a giant water ball dripping, but it charged in full speed at her. Alice ducked down and watched as the water splashed against the wall of blue light.

Suddenly, the water that was still left in the pond swirled around her outstretched arm and yanked her to its deepest depths. Alice struggled to get out and tried to hold her breath, but to no avail. She conjured the flames, this time, to swirl around her like a garment; however, the flames were casted out. Alice tried to swim towards the surface with the last amount of strength and air she had, but she failed. She started drifting down into the water's darkest depths and the only thought she had was of Kaiba before she became unconscious. A different voice spoke out in the darkness, "_Release me._" Alice's eyes suddenly opened and glowed bright red. The water around her started to swirl and encased her, ready to break open the surface.

At the top on the bench, a shadowy figure was chuckling under its breath. It thought, '_This was so easy. I could kill her by myself._' Then, a bright red light came out from the pond and the ground shook from that power. The shadowy figure gritted its teeth and disappeared out of sight.

The bright red light was so strong that it cracked and shattered the walls of blue light. Alice shot out of the water and floated above the pond. A red aura surrounded her body and glowed brightly. She then stood on the ground and smiled an evil smile for her accomplishment before she fainted.

Meanwhile, Kaiba was waiting for his limo until he saw a bright red light coming from the garden. His thoughts immediately went straight to the girl, who he just met and helped him escape from the party. Kaiba took a shortcut he found without the bodyguards noticing him and ran towards the last place he saw her. He found her lying next to the pond, all wet and unconscious. Her messy bun was undone and her shoes were in the water. Her white dress was clinging to the body like wet glue. Kaiba came close to her and shook her to wake her up, but she didn't open her eyes. He checked her pulse and heartbeat and heard a small, faint beat; however, the beat was dying. Kaiba looked around him to find no one. '_Nobody saw that?_' he thought to himself.

He looked at her wet lips and an unknown lust and passion grew up inside of him. Kaiba shook his head and cleared his mind from those thoughts before performing CPR. As he touched her lips, he felt a small sensation he hadn't felt in a long time or ever. Warmth. Tranquility. Love. After giving a couple of breaths, he crossed his hands over her chest and pushed down a few times. He tried it once more and that woke her up. She chucked out the water in her body and slightly opened her eyes.

Alice couldn't see who saved her, but her thoughts went straight to the boy she had not seen in years. She assumed it was him and uttered a mumble, "Seto… it's you." Then she went unconscious once more.

Kaiba couldn't hear what the girl said, but he was itching to see who she was under the mask. He accidently brushed his hand against her cheek when he was reaching for her mask and felt that she was ice cold. He took off his gray jacket and threw it over her. Then, he carried her under his arms and quickly went up the steps to bump into Pegasus.

Pegasus had a serious face on and asked, "What happened, Kaiba boy?"

"How should I know? I saw her lying there," he pointed his chin towards the pond and then said with urgency, "She needs to see a doctor now, Pegasus!"

Pegasus called his security guard and butler and told them to call in a doctor. They carried her away into the manor and waited for the doctor to arrive in the upstairs bedroom. Pegasus went in to calm the crowd down and told them that they should get going since it was late. As everyone was ready to leave and Pegasus was alone, Kaiba asked him, "Did you see the red light?"

"What red light?" Pegasus asked, confused.

'_So only I could see it…_' Kaiba thought. Then he asked, "Who's the girl?"

"She's a family friend. If you want to ask her name, you can ask her yourself when she's awake," Pegasus excused himself and went upstairs to check on Alice.

Kaiba pondered on whether or not to follow, but his feet started to move on its own. When he reached the opened door, he stood by it and looked through the slit. Pegasus asked the doctor, looking flustered, "Will she be all right? She's in no danger, right?"

"She will be fine. It seemed that she was in the state of drowning. Whoever did CPR saved her life. All she needs now is to rest."

Kaiba looked away from the door and sighed in relief. Then he shook his head and wondered why he did it…and why he felt that way about the girl. '_This is wrong,_' he thought. Kaiba had to kill his emotions; no one would want a weak leader, especially if he was directing Kaiba Corp. He came out of the manor and walked into his limo while burying and stabbing the feelings he developed with every step he took. On the way home, his feelings were gone, but the only thing he couldn't bury in the back of his mind was the question of the girl's identity.

….

A slap echoed across the building as the tall figure stood with its outstretched hand, looking down at the person who got slapped. The tall figure yelled, "What the hell did you do? Did you not realize that you released that thing?"

"How should I have known? Her life force was almost out and I thought I had won."

"Do you even realize how much power we have to gain and conserve? Now, we have to start over again! This time, that thing will surely wake up and we have no energy to defeat her now."

The shorter one said, "But that boy… he sealed it."

"I'm surprised that he was reincarnated into this era, but it's only temporary and that does not give us a lot of time," the tall figure sighed. All three stood next to each other and disappeared in a flash.

**What do you guys think? Who are the three figures that keep going after Alice? What is the evil thing inside of Alice? Why does she have to keep her identity a secret from everyone? How will Kaiba find out her identity? So many questions left unanswered; the answers will be revealed in the upcoming chapters! Stay tuned. **


	3. Chapter 2: Lust and Discord

_**Ch. 2: Lust and Discord**_

_A man in blue, white, and gold robes called for her to wake up, but no sound came out from his lips. His eyes were hidden in the darkness. He held a golden rod with a golden eye on top near his torso. The man reached out his hand…_

….

Alice slightly open her eyes to a blurred ceiling until her vision cleared up to see sunlight coming out of her window. She turned her head to look at her surroundings and saw her father snoring in a chair next to her bed. Her gold mask was on top of the bed stand and her dress was hanging on the mannequin in the corner. Alice looked down at her clothes to find that they were changed, and a gray jacket lied on top of her blanket. She pushed herself from the bed and woke her father up with a slight shake. Pegasus shook his head to wake himself up fully and hunched over on Alice's bed to ask, "Are you all right, Alice? Do you need anything?"

Alice shook her head as a response. Before she could ask what happened, Pegasus hugged her tightly with lots of love, "Oh, I was so worried. I thought I would lose you. You don't know how much that frightens me. What would I do when I'm lonely again? Would I have the strength to make more cards?"

Alice laughed and replied, "Papa, I'm fine. I feel better now."

"I'm glad you are. Do you remember what happened?" he asked.

"All I remember was fighting against a water demon and drowning in its grasp."

"I thought this was all over."

"Well… it hasn't been over," Alice hesitated.

"What! Why didn't you tell me, Alice?" Pegasus said out of shock.

"Papa, I can handle each and every one of them."

"Except for this one!"

"I'm still alive! My powers have been growing. You have to understand, Papa. I'm not that little girl you adopted anymore." Alice looked into her father's eyes, in hoping that he wouldn't make a stupid decision.

"Alice, I'll let you stay to finish school, but afterwards, you must come back to America with me."

"But-"

Pegasus interrupted, "I'll be staying here in Japan with you. Croquet and the others will watch over you closely. Understand me as a parent, my dearest Alice. I worry for your safety."

Alice nodded in reluctant agreement. Her father got up from the chair and was about to leave to get breakfast until Alice asked, "Who saved me?"

"Kaiba boy saved you. You must be careful around him. He's awfully suspicious about our relationship."

'_Kaiba... Wait a minute…_' Alice touched her lips and blushed madly, '_No way!_'

….

After a week passed by, Pegasus gave her a last-minute gift before he dropped her off at Kaiba Corporations. Alice put the wrapped gift in her purse and proceeded to walk inside the building, carrying Kaiba's gray jacket in her arm. She went up to the main desk and asked, "Is Mr. Kaiba in today?"

"No. I'll be glad to leave him a message for you," the secretary blew her off.

"I have something I need to return to him. Is there a way you can reach him?" Alice persisted.

"Look, Mr. Kaiba doesn't need any fan service. Please leave the building before I call security," the secretary gave Alice a menacing glare.

Meanwhile, Kaiba was in his usual routine at work when a knock tapped on his door. He gave approval for the stranger to come in. His security guard said, "Sir, there is a girl waiting downstairs. She said she's looking for you."

"Tell her to leave. I don't need any nuisances right now."

"But sir, she insisted on meeting you. She said she needed to return a gray jacket."

Kaiba paused in his work and asked, "What does she look like?"

"Red hair. Pale skin. About 5'5" tall… I couldn't see her eyes since she's wearing sunglasses."

"Tell my secretary to let her in and guide her here. Make sure no one comes through this door."

"Yes sir," the security guard answered.

Kaiba turned his chair around to look at his window. He never thought that the girl would come here. '_This is my chance…_' he thought.

….

Alice went out of the elevator doors and followed the guard to Kaiba's office. He opened it and bowed for her to come in. She went inside to see Kaiba glaring at her with his arms folded across his chest, leaning against his desk. He wore a blue trench coat and dark green shirt and pants with a black belt. "If you've come here to say thanks, I don't need it. I saved your life, so I wouldn't become a liability," he said.

"I'll still say it anyway," Alice replied and bowed to him, "Thank you for saving my life. I'm in debt to you. I'm also here to return something that belongs to you." She walked towards him and handed him the jacket. Alice continued, "If you're worried about the smell or touch, I already have it cleaned for you."

Kaiba took the jacket and tossed it aside while still looking at Alice. He said, "I don't care about it. Now, you said you're in debt to me. Why don't we clear it with the start by telling me who you are and what's your relationship to Pegasus?"

Alice couldn't believe what she heard nor the uneasiness she was feeling from Kaiba. She took three steps back and asked, "Is there another way for me to pay you back?"

Kaiba stood up and walked closer to her, "You wouldn't like the alternative unless you tell me what I want to know."

They were standing in the middle of the room, near the couch, and inches away from each other's faces. Alice blushed underneath her sunglasses, but she kept her cool to say, "Why do you want know about me so much? I thought you wouldn't care…"

"I don't." Kaiba pushed Alice down on his couch and trapped her by gripping her hands together under his. When his face came close to hers again, Alice's heart started to beat madly and froze under his stare. With his other hand, Kaiba slowly reached for her sunglasses while saying, "Let's see who you really are."

Before Kaiba could touch her sunglasses, Alice kissed him. This stunned him, which gave her an opportunity to curl one of her legs up and push him off with her heel against his hipbone. She pushed herself halfway off the couch before she was suddenly pushed back down with a heavy weight on top of her. Kaiba whispered in her ear, "You're lucky you're not wearing high-heels or else, things would get messy. So, looks like we're doing the alternative."

They went back into the same position they were before, but this time, Kaiba made sure her legs were secured with his legs on top of hers. His free hand started to roam up and down on her sides. Alice felt the tingling sensation throughout her body, but it was a bittersweet feeling. She gasped when his hand crawled underneath her white blouse and slide across her stomach. Kaiba whispered into her ear again, "If you want me to stop, then tell me what I asked for."

Alice answered, "Kaiba, don't go any farther than this. I will press charges against you and put you into court."

"I could've sworn someone started it by kissing me. I thought that was consent."

His hand started to move down towards her thighs and moved slightly up at the hem of her black short skirt. Alice held in her breaths and tried to resist the temptation. Kaiba noticed how stiff the girl was and pushed the boundary by sliding his hand under her skirt and brushing his lips against her ear and neck. Alice couldn't keep her control and let out a small gasp of pleasure.

From hearing her, Kaiba was trying to keep his mind and body together; however, once he looked at her upper body, he almost lost it. Her white blouse curved perfectly with her figure. Her cleavage showed through the small cut of her blouse. Her skin radiated under his stare, especially her neck. With a small of portion sanity that took control, he gave Alice a last warning, "Tell me now before you'll regret it." Kaiba tried looking into her eyes through her sunglasses, but his gaze suddenly turned towards her moist lips and his lust took over instantly.

Alice was about to threaten him back when Kaiba kissed her. It was not a soft and tender kiss, but a rough and passionate one. She felt his tongue slip through her lips and tried to play with hers. His hand was roaming more than before. When it brushed against her breast, he circled his fingers around and grabbed it. Alice turned her head to let go of the kiss and let out a small moan. He lowered his head to nibble her neck and continued to massage Alice's breast. Alice's body started to accept his advances and her mind lost control over resisting the temptation. She felt that her body was waiting for this moment, especially for this man. As he went down to kiss her chest, Kaiba slowly released his grip on her hands and massaged both of her breasts. They both started to sweat a little with the passions that kept firing up inside both of them.

Although Alice enjoyed his kisses and touches, in the back of her mind, a small yet strong voice spoke out that she needed to stop this. She opened her eyes and took the opportunity to roll him over and off of the couch. Her sunglasses came off from the turn and sweat, so Alice quickly covered Kaiba's eyes with her hand. She whispered in his ear, "Please don't do this anymore. You're confusing me. You say you don't care, but your actions say you do. Why?"

"I don't know why," Kaiba said truthfully. His body lied stiff underneath Alice and his hands were scraping his floor, trying to recover his cold demeanor and pride.

"I'll tell you one thing. Pegasus and I are no more than family friends."

"That's a lie."

"Believe what you want to believe."

"I'll believe it when you tell me who you are."

Alice turned to look at his face, even though her hand still covered his eyes. She couldn't help but feel drawn towards him and said, "I'll tell you when you figure out your feelings."

"I have no feelings for you," Kaiba denied bluntly, regaining some of his cold demeanor.

"You're pitiful, but…"

Alice brushed his cheek with her other hand and gave him a soft kiss. The same spark yet a strong one went through one another's bodies. Kaiba started to remember about the little girl he met at the orphanage. Alice reminisced about the little boy she met and fell in love with. Alice stood up, grabbed her belongings that fell off, and ran towards the office door to the exit of the building. The security guard called for Kaiba, "Sir, do you want me to follow her?"

"No. Leave her," Kaiba replied.

He stood up from where he laid and fixed his trench coat and shirt. He sat down on the couch and put his hand over his forehead and eyes while his elbow was on the couch's arm, wondering with many questions in his mind and heart. A little boy with long black hair came in the room and asked, "Hey big brother, who was the lady that ran out of here?"

"Mokuba, don't ask me any more questions," Kaiba growled.

….

Alice ran all the way to the park and sat down on an open bench, panting rapidly. Her tears came running down on her cheeks, and she couldn't stop the shame that flowed throughout her body. Alice had mixed feelings about what happened between her and Kaiba: hate, shame, lust, and love. Her heart was ready to give itself away to another person who she barely knew. '_What was I doing? What could have happened if I didn't stop myself?_' Alice thought.

Then a small shadow appeared and it asked, "Are you ok, Sato?"

Alice looked up to see Yugi with a curious and concerned face. She wiped her tears away and replied, "It's nothing, Yugi. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I thought I could clear my head out here. Is it ok if I sit down next to you?" Alice nodded and then, Yugi continued, "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

"I'll be fine since you're here," Alice smiled, "So… what's on your mind?"

"Umm… well, see ever since I solved this puzzle, I… this sounds really weird and stupid. Never mind!"

"Yugi, tell me. I won't laugh about it."

"Ok… I've had this other mind… this other personality inside of me. Whenever I'm in trouble or someone else is, that personality comes out and I don't really remember what happened afterwards. He's not really me… he's like a whole other person. I think maybe… he's a sprit of this millennium puzzle."

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"You… you believe me?"

"This puzzle," Alice pointed, "is an ancient treasure from Egypt. Anything could be possible. Maybe this spirit is like an ego and it's trying to protect you."

"Yeah, it's like that…. Well, I tried communicating with him, but he's very mysterious. Like I said, he comes out when I'm in trouble or protecting someone."

"If you think this spirit is already a part of you, then be on the same wavelength. Try to talk to him now."

"But, wouldn't it be awkward?"

"No. Now, concentrate on the puzzle and your mind."

Yugi closed his eyes and did what Alice told him to. After several seconds, he opened his eyes and was happy, "I did it! I talked to him! He said hello and thanked you for the help."

"You're welcome," Alice said. She looked at the sky and saw the sun setting down behind the buildings. She told Yugi, "It's getting late. Your grandpa and mom wouldn't want you to be out later in the dark."

"You're right. I need to get home. I have a lot more things to talk about with… with my other self, I guess."

Yugi waved good-bye and jogged towards his place. Alice waved back and smiled, "Crocketts, thanks for not jumping in."

Crocketts came out behind the tree and asked, "Miss, is everything all right at Kaiba Corp?"

"Yes, the debt's been settled," Alice lied, "Though, I hope I don't have to see him."

"That can be arranged, Miss. Oh, your father would like me to tell you that he'll be busy with the upcoming tournament. He is sorry that he won't have time to be with you. He wants you to study well in school and prepare for your graduation."

"I'll keep that in mind. Can you take me home?"

"I'll get the car, Miss," Crocketts bowed and left.

Alice looked up in the sky and tears flowed down once more as she thought about the little boy. '_I'm sorry, Seto. I'm so sorry._'

….

At night, Kaiba finished his work for the day, but this was a bad sign. Every time, he didn't keep his mind busy, he would think about the girl and the little one from his past. He thought, '_They can't be the same person. They can't! She… she couldn't be alive._'

A little man came in and said, "Master Kaiba, I heard what happened in here and I hope it won't be repeated again. I have made sure that all the people who heard were silenced and the tapes were disposed of."

"All right, if that's all you got to say, don't lecture me and get out of my sight," Kaiba commanded coldly.

"As you wish, Master Kaiba."

The door closed for a minute and then opened once more with Mokuba holding something underneath his orange-striped shirt. "Here big bro, these are all the tapes I could get before it was destroyed," he said when he put them on the desk.

"Thanks, Mokuba," Kaiba said as he grabbed all of them into his briefcase.

"Why do you need those for? Is there someone suspicious in this building?"

"You could say. Let's get home now."

Mokuba cheered and carried his brother's briefcase to the limo; they set off to their mansion. Once they arrived, maids and butlers bowed when they passed by. Mokuba separated from his brother to his room to play with his toys. Kaiba went into his own office and set up the television to play the tapes. He erased the times when she came in and the incident that happened in the room.

After seeing it, he couldn't help feeling disgusted at his actions, but he brushed the feeling aside and focused at the point when the girl ran off to the exit. She ran way too fast for the camera to capture a good look so, Kaiba slowed the video down to play by play. When he paused at a good point, her face was still blurry. He hooked up his laptop to the TV and VCR to link the picture and clear it up.

Once the picture cleared up, Kaiba swore under his breath. Her hair covered her eyes, but this didn't stop him. Kaiba kept forwarding the video, but in every second, she somehow had her eyes or face covered from the camera. He lied on his back and wondered why he was still thinking about her. She was no one to him and yet, her voice and figure were plastered everywhere in his mind. He had to remind himself that his name had power and would use it to find out who that girl was. "I will find out who you are. You'll be mine to crush and out of my life for good," he promised to himself as he closed his hand into a fist.

**Kaiba still couldn't figure out her name, but is he really going to keep her out of his life? What's going to happen next? **


End file.
